Carolina Panthers sign QB Haynes King

The Carolina Panthers' signing of Haynes King earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a fair-value deal that reflects the low-cost, depth-chart nature of the transaction. At $1.03M AAV over three years ($3.1M total), this is a replacement-level quarterback contract — the kind of minimum-salary cushion a team uses to stock the practice squad or serve as a third-string option without meaningful cap burden. King enters as a depth piece, not a solution to Carolina's quarterback equation, which makes the modest financial commitment appropriate for the role he'll occupy on the roster. The CVI grade sits at the boundary between neutral and slightly positive because the contract carries virtually no dead-cap risk and no guaranteed money that could constrain future moves; if King doesn't work out, the Panthers can move on cleanly. In a preseason landscape where Carolina sits at 8–9 with playoff positioning on the line, this low-stakes signing allows the organization to add developmental depth without mortgaging flexibility — a prudent use of cap space in a win-now window, even if King himself represents marginal upside rather than a path forward at the position.